


His Body is a Costume

by ComposerEgg



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Introspection, TWEWYTOBER 2017, reflection on how Josh isn't human
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2019-01-10 01:19:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12288210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComposerEgg/pseuds/ComposerEgg
Summary: Neku forgets, sometimes, just how other Joshua is. Sure, it’s weird and silly when he uses his power to do things like transfigure Neku to give him catlike features, and appearing out of thin air is not normal, but he’s used to it. Used to Josh being an accepted form of normalcy in his life. So he doesn’t question everyday weird events, it’s part of his world, but things like this remind him that Josh is different.





	His Body is a Costume

“Josh, this is ridiculous,” Neku says. Josh just laughs, and finishes painting whiskers on Neku’s face.

“Nonsense. Be glad it’s a costume and not me zapping you. I could give you _real_ whiskers, cat ears, and a tail, if you tempt me.”

“Is that something you can do? Or are you bluffing?” Neku asks. He comes to regret it immediately thereafter as Joshua smirks and bops him on the nose. The drying paint shifts and lifts off his face. He flinches when Josh flicks them, nose recoiling in surprise.

“”I could turn you into a cat, but I won’t go that far,” he says. “Unless you want to be a cat?”

“Would it get me out of my homework?” he asks, and Josh chuckles.

“No, because I’d only do it for a few hours. I’m not turning you into a cat for the rest of your life. I mean first off you’d claw me to hell, and secondly, while you’re probably an _adorable_ cat, I do like seeing you like this too,” Josh says.

Neku blushes, his tail weaving through the air behind him and ears flicking backward and _wait a second_. “You did the ears and tail too.”

“Of course I did! I said I was going to!” Josh reaches up and scratches at the base of his ear, and Neku feels himself relaxing into it. His angry glare somewhat dampened as he tilts his head to make it easier for Josh to scratch.

“I hate you,” he grumbles.

“No you don’t!” Josh says, entirely too cheery. “Though, I’m not giving you claws. I don’t want them to end up ruining my costume.”

“And what are you going to dress up as?” he asks, batting Josh’s hand away finally. He let that go on way too long. Josh gives him a pouty face but doesn’t do it again.

“A witch, of course.” Joshua waves his hands in a flourish, flowing through the air like water. His clothing shifts, and he’s wearing a long, black dress, with many belts. He has all sorts of objects hanging from these belts, ranging from potion bottles with dubious liquids inside, to various crystals giving off an ominous glow, along with, of course, a wand tucked in there at his side, and a silver dagger at the other.

He morphs his fingernails, elongating and becoming pointy, before tapping each one to give it a crimson coat of paint. Velvet purple lipstick and smokey black eyeshadow blooms on his face.To top it off, he adorns his head with a flower crown made of roses (the thorns poking outward), forget-me-nots, violets, and lilac.

Neku forgets, sometimes, just how _other_ Joshua is. Sure, it’s weird and silly when he uses his power to do things like transfigure Neku, and appearing out of thin air is not normal, but he’s used to it. Used to Josh being an accepted form of normalcy in his life. So he doesn’t question everyday weird events, it’s part of his world, but things like _this_ remind him that Josh is _different_.

Otherworldly, ethereal. The bold, dark colors a sharp contrast to his pale skin and stark white hair. Glowing crystals highlight the mystique. The air shimmers around him, the veil between life and death at it’s thinnest, and he _swears_ he can hear the thrum of Music in his Soul. The hair on his skin _does_ prickle at the chill draft as Josh does his display of magic.

Joshua is not human. Neku knows this, and yet, it’s so easy to let that detail slip from his mind. Joshua is a city god, a bright burning sun, energy radiating from his gangly form, limbs moving awkwardly, stiff or too fluid, like the skin doesn’t quite fit right anymore. Neku wonders what he looks like, without this disguise, wonders what would happen to him if he ever saw the truth beneath the dead flesh, under the avatar the city uses, projected through a boy.

He knows Josh used to be human, only a few short years ago, but the shift from _human_ to _city_ must take it’s toll. Change you, force you to adapt or be rejected, because anything less means your Soul would burn, disintegrating as the district consumed you.

If Josh catches him staring, eyes scanning over every detail, down to the three-inch crimson stilettos, he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he flashes a smile of too-white teeth, and offers a hand.

“Shall we be going now? The party awaits.”

Neku tears his eyes away, and nods, tail lying low and close to his body. “Sure, yeah. We’ve got a party to rock,” he says, taking the hand.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this unbeta'd mostly-written-at-night oneshot here! It was fun, went places I didn't expect.
> 
> So I'm a few days behind on twewytober, due to writing for the bang (that fic is going to go through some heavy editing before it ends up on here, but you can check it out as it gets posted over at the [twewy bang tumblr!](http://subasekabang.tumblr.com/)
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at [composeregg](http://composeregg.tumblr.com) or [indecisiveauthor](http://indecisiveauthor.tumblr.com/), feel free to hit me up there!
> 
> If you liked this fic, please drop a comment below! It would absolutely make my day! Anything is welcome, from kind words to incoherent screams to concrit!
> 
> EDIT: [I have a twewy discord now! It's here!](https://discord.gg/pEADe9J)


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